Carlos Alcaraz has made it through to the second round of Wimbledon after a marathon victory against Italy’s Fabio Fognini.
Alcaraz won the five-set match 7-5 6-7 7-5 2-6 6-1, keeping alive the Spaniard’s hopes of winning a third consecutive Wimbledon crown.
The match, which lasted four hours and 37 minutes, marked the end of Fognini’s Wimbledon story. The Italian is set to retire from tennis at the end of 2025.
The result was unexpected considering the Spaniard’s tournament victories at the French Open and Queen’s Club Championships. However, the result was a fair reflection, as Fognini demonstrated his never-say-die attitude to stick with Alcaraz until the very end.
With his victory confirmed on Monday evening, Alcaraz matched an all-time Grand Slam record set by seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander.
Carlos Alcaraz equals Mats Wilander’s record of winning 14 Grand Slam five-set matches in his first 15
The tennis records keep on falling before the might of Carlos Alcaraz. After playing 15 Grand Slam five-set matches, Carlos Alcaraz has won 14.
His 14-1 record equals Mats Wilander’s total across the same amount of five-set matches at Grand Slams.
It is quite remarkable that Alcaraz has matched Wilander’s Open Era record, especially when considering the Spaniard is only 22 years old.
Former world number one Wilander was one of the best male players during the 1980’s and is remembered for his excellent clay court play. Wilander won three French Open titles, three Australian Open titles, and one US Open title.
Alcaraz could match another Wilander statistic in 2025 if he wins Wimbledon and the US Open, which would equal Wilander’s seven Grand Slam titles.
Alcaraz’s only five-set loss at a Grand Slam came against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini at the 2022 Australian Open. The Spaniard, seeded 31, lost to seventh seed Berrettini 2-6 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-7.
Carlos Alcaraz sets up Wimbledon second round match against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet
When Oliver Tarvet was playing in the first round of Wimbledon qualifying, he likely did not expect to be playing Carlos Alcaraz a week later.
Tarvet, who climbed over 300 ATP ranking places following his first round victory in the main draw, beat fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi on Monday, winning 6-4 6-4 6-4.
If the match is played on Centre Court, the occasion could present a huge opportunity for Tarvet to show tennis fans his quality.
Tarvet, who revealed whether he wants to go professional following his victory on Monday, will take great belief heading into the contest with Alcaraz, especially after the Spaniard’s shaky performance against Fognini.
